A Freak Fooling the World
by GreySide58
Summary: Shawn has a photographic memory, but no one knows, except for the kids he went to school with. He never talks about it and it's never brought up until a case comes along. The case hits close to home for him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This story came about when I was listening to a Drake Bell cd with my little sister. it's inspired by his song 'Fool the World'

**Disclaimer: **Own nothing

_right in front of me  
a couple makes what could melt the snow  
making fun of me  
a single look never cut me so_

and i know  
to save the conversation  
i know  
a deeper contemplation  
is all i need to make believe  
everyone would love me if i could fool the world

walk away from me  
i see the change in the atmosphere  
what a way to be  
to turn the page  
just to make it clear

and i know  
to change the conversation  
i know  
a deeper contemplation  
is all i need to make believe  
everyone would love me if i could fool the world-("Fool the World"-Drake Bell)

Flahsback-1995

Shawn stepped out of the school with his backpack flung over his shoulder. Gus hadn't been there today, his family had gone on vacation, so he'd gone it alone. He saw a couple on the lawn sharing a moment together. He looked away from them and caught a group of people talking and laughing, every so often looking over at him, and each time they did they laughed. Now he knew he could be imagining things, but that would be if he hadn't overheard the nickname he'd acquired in the sixth grade. People knew he had a photographic memory and at first they all thought it was cool, but after he continued take tests without studying for a while they started disliking him for it and just labeled him a freak.

After letting out a sigh he walked over to them, plastering a smile on his face.

"Hey, Durman, Michaels, everybody. How are you all doing this fine day?" he asked with enthusiasm.

"Spencer. We're doing fine. Just talking. Is there something we can do for you?" the boy known as Durman asked, glaring at Shawn.

"No, just thought I'd see everybody and join in what appeared to be a very amusing conversation." Shawn told him.

"Right, well, it's not really any of your business, so if you don't mind." Durman said, suggesting really for Shawn to get the heck out of there.

"Oh, right, I'll leave you to whatever it is you were talking about." He said and left, but not before giving a mock bow, which caused the girls in the group to laugh and then earn a glare from the boys.

"Stupid football players." Shawn mumbled under his breath. He fixed his backpack so it was fully on his back and started jogging for home. It helped him wear off some of the endless energy he had and clear his mind.

Present Day 

Shawn was leaning back in the chair of the Psych office, throwing sharpened pencils up at the ceiling. Gus was coming in late that day because he had to do some work for his other job. Shawn didn't understand why he didn't just let that job go, but hey it was Gus's choice.

As he sat there trying to decide if he could make some sort of design out of the pencils on the ceiling the tune of Simple Plan's "Grow Up" shrilled in the office. Shawn looked at his phone on the desk and answered it, not even bothering to see who was calling.

"Yellow." He said while he once again threw pencils up at the ceiling.

"Mr. Spencer, we have a case for you." He heard the Chief say.

"Good one?" he asked out of curiosity.

"I'll tell you everything when you get down here, Mr. Spencer." She said and Shawn was sure she sounded very serious.

"Alright, be down there before you can say 'Pineapple is the best fruit ever created.'" Shawn said before hanging up. He pocketed his phone, grabbed his helmet and keys, and was out of there and on his way to the station.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Hello, Mr. Spencer, please have a seat." The Chief said when he came in. Shawn smiled at Juliet as he sat down.

"What's he doing here?" Lassiter asked, irritated that he was going to have to be showed up by a kid in a man's body who claimed to be psychic.

"I feel he could help us with this case. To be honest I was considering sending you and him both undercover." She said.

"What?!" Lassiter asked sounding shocked beyond belief.

"That's right and I want NO complaints, Carlton." She told him pointedly and Shawn was sure that was the first time he'd ever see Lassie shrink back, it was sort of funny, but he had to keep a straight face.

"Alright, before I give you the details of your undercover mission I'll fill you in on the case. Chuck Doogan, sixteen years old was found in the football field behind the high school with a shot to the head. He had a note pinned to him that read 'photo freak, one less in the world'. No witnesses as of this moment." The Chief told them. No one noticed the look of pain that had crossed over Shawn's facial features when she mentioned about the boy being called a photo freak and he was glad, because they wouldn't understand.

"Chief, if I may ask, why do Spencer and I have to go undercover?" Lassiter asked, not hiding the disgust in his voice.

"Because we need some answers from the inside. Spencer, you'll be going in as a counselor, while, Carlton, you'll be going in as a janitor." She told them.

"Wait, _he'_**s** counselor? How'd that happen?"

"Think about it, he's younger, has a better idea about how to handle the teens. No offense, Carlton, but the chances of these kids opening up to you is slim to none."

"Fine. Don't mess this up, Spencer?"

"Chief, do we know what 'photo freak' means?" Juliet asked from her seat.

"No, we haven't been able to figure it out. For all we know it means he had an obsession with taking pictures or something." She said.

"Means photographic memory kid." Shawn said quietly as he looked away from everyone. He was sure no one heard him, but he was proved wrong.

"What's that you're saying, Spencer?" and Shawn knew Lassiter had thought he'd made a snide remark.

"I said it means the kid has a photographic memory and people know." He said before getting up to walk out of the room.

**A/N: To be continued let me know what you think**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Got this up sooner than I thought I would. Hope you enjoy.

When Gus finally made it to the Psych office he found Shawn leaving through some old yearbooks, his face scrunched up in concentration.

"Reminiscing?" he inquired curiously.

"Wha? Oh, Gus, didn't hear you come in." he said before going back to the book in front of him.

"Yeah, I noticed. So, what's with all the old yearbooks?"

"Oh, this, for a case. You know they're letting me undercover. You should've been there, Gus. Lassie looked like he was about ready to kill somebody, probably me, when Chief told him he and I were going undercover together." Shawn told him, his face lit up with excitement.

"You're going undercover?" Gus asked sounding shocked.

"Yeah, I'm going to pose as the counselor up at the high school. Lassie's the janitor."

"You, counselor?" Gus was really shocked.

"Yeah, say I'll be able to get the kids to open up, find out what happened to this kid Chuck Doogan." Shawn said and as soon as he finished speaking he went back to looking at the yearbooks.

"Chuck Doogan, what happened to him?" Gus asked.

"In the file there." Shawn said, pointing to a folder on the edge of the desk. Gus grabbed and opened it while look at his friend. He was used to Shawn gushing the details of a case, not telling very little and then telling him to look at the file.

He read about what had been found and noticed what the note had said.

"He had a photographic memory?" Gus asked, remembering the same nickname being pinned to a younger Shawn.

"I'm guessing so." Shawn said with a shrug. Gus noticed the little bit of enthusiasm he was getting from his friend and realized that this case was bugging him.

"They don't know do they?"

"Who?"

"Chief, Lassiter, O'Hara, they don't know you have a photographic memory."

"No, isn't that obvious though. I mean, if they knew, there goes the shindig of being a psychic." Shawn said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You going to be ok on this case?" Gus asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'll just get the sucker that did this to him, no matter what it takes." Shawn said with determination. A determination Gus had seen at very few points.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Now, you two both, know what you're doing right?" the Chief asked Lassiter and Shawn who were sitting in her office, dressed to go undercover. Lassiter was indignantly wearing a janitor's suit while Shawn was wearing a sports jacket over a T-Shirt and dark blue jeans. The Chief wanted him to look nice, but casual, so the teens would feel comfortable around him.

"Yes." Lassiter said while rolling his eyes.

"Spencer?" the Chief asked, looking at him. He had seem lost in thought the moment he entered her office, she wasn't used to seeing him that way, but she would deal with it.

"Know it like the back of my own hand." Shawn said with enthusiasm, a grin plastered on his face.

"Good. Carlton, you and Spencer are going to drive to the school together and get set up." She said, making sure to give Lassiter a look that dared him to argue with her.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"So, you're the two the station sent over then?" the high school's principle asked them as they sat there.

"That's us." Shawn said smiling.

"Shawn Spencer, didn't think I'd see you here again anytime soon." He said smiling at him.

"I'm here for good reason though. No, firecrackers on me this time." He said, holding his hands up.

"Wait, you know him?" Lassiter asked sounding surprised.

"Yeah, rather well I might add. You were brilliant, Shawn, just had too much energy and a need for attention."

"Still got the last two." Lassiter muttered.

"Well, so you'll be janitor, Detective and Mr. Spencer, you'll be going in as counselor. I'll give you al of the students' files, but I know you won't need them for constant check." The principle said smiling fondly at him and Shawn smiled back, but at the same time there was an almost pained look on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lassiter asked, not sure what was really taking place.

"Shawn here really is a genius. Has a photographic memory. Had a hard time with it if I remember right, though."

"Wait, Spencer, you're a photo freak." Lassiter said, not even thinking about the words that left his mouth. He was too shocked at having stumbled upon this information.

"Yeah, I'm a photo freak, just like Chuck Doogan. You got a problem with it." Shawn snapped, taking Lassiter back. Shawn grabbed the files and went out of the office.

"Shouldn't have said that. Shawn had that nickname for a while. You do know Gus was his only friend in school right?"

"That's impossible, I mean he's so outgoing."

"You don't know him. Got the girls, but nothing ever serious. Football players taunted him like crazy. He tried to not let it faze him, but I knew it did. He's a good kid, smart, must make a great detective huh?" the principle was smiling, obviously fond of Shawn.

"Detective, no, he's the department's 'psychic'."

"Psychic, huh. Alright." Lassiter could tell the principle didn't believe Shawn's charade.

"You don't believe it do you?"

"Son, I knew Shawn for four years and I had many times where he sat in my office. I may not be his dad or his best friend, but I'm pretty sure I know the kid." That was the only answer Lassiter was going to get.

"Now, you better go out there and start scoping out the lay of the land, see what you can pick up in conversations." He told Lassiter. Lassiter was about to say something but decided against it and got up to gather what he would need to show himself as a janitor.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter

Shawn sat at the desk; flipping through the student files when the door opened and a young girl came in. She was medium height, with shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes.

"Hi, I was told that I should come talk to you." She said quietly as she stood there in the doorway.

"Come sit down." He said smiling as he pointed to the chair.

"So you're the new counselor, huh. I like you, the last one was stiff and she was old." The girl said as she took in Shawn.

"Well, I'm not old and I'll try not to be stiff. Call me Tony by the way, I want you to be comfortable." He said, using his middle name.

"Cool. Jenny. I was Chuck's best friend."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Yes and no. I mean, yes 'cause I know it might make me feel better, but no 'cause I'm not sure you'll understand." She told him honestly.

"Try me. Why don't you tell me a little bit about him."

"Alright, I can do that. He was the best friend anyone could ask for. No one ever gave him a chance though. He was smart, had a photographic memory. He hated it though, just wanted to be like everybody else most of the time. Especially when Michael Durman started teasing him and calling him a photo freak. Chuck was the youngest of two. His brother was a football player from his freshman year to his senior year, Chuck isn't, I mean, wasn't on the football team. Being the little brother of a football star wasn't easy either, he hated that he was expected to live up to James." She told him. She had to stop at certain points and control her emotions, but she got it out and he didn't interrupt.

"Have you talked to his brother at all since it happened?" he asked curiously.

"Nah, being best friends with Chuck I learned who James really was and I learned not to like him. Gosh, the guy thinks he's all that. I mean, the guy's still living in the past. He still wears his letterman jacket, he's thirty for pete's sake." She said with exasperation.

"Thirty, huh, wait Jimmy 'Rocketman' Doogan?" Shawn remembered him.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason, just I went to school here myself. I remember him, that's all."

"You're not one of those guys who worshipped him were you, because if you were we are so done talking." She said, the girl had spunk and he liked that.

"No, I wasn't." he shook his head smiling.

"Thank goodness. Wait, so if you knew James then you must've known Matt Durman, Michael's uncle." She said, speaking freely. She really was feeling completely comfortable with Shawn.

"Yeah, I did. We weren't the best of friends. Had the same problem as Chuck. But as he was lucky to have you I was lucky to have my own best friend. But, we're not here about me, we're here about you." Shawn said smiling as he leaned back in the chair.

"Right." She said with a small smile as she lowered her gaze to the folded hands on her lap.

"Wanna talk about what happened that day?" he asked with interest as he leaned forward on the desk, his hands folded.

"I guess. He and I were going to walk home together, but then Durman and his buddies caught up with us and said that they needed to talk to him. He told me to just go ahead home. I didn't go right away though, I figured why not wait for a bit. After about fifteen minutes I called up his cell, took him a couple rings to answer, but when he did he was out of breath. That worried me, so of course I asked him what was wrong. Told me nothing and that the guys had asked him to throw the football around a bit. I didn't understand why he really wanted to hang out with them, I mean they're such pigs, I was just thinking whatever, I'd talk to him later anyways about what happened. I didn't talk to him later though." She said as a set of new tears filled her blue eyes. Shawn wasn't used to girls crying, so all he really did was hand her the box of tissues that was on his desk. It was then that he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in.," he said casually as he watched Jenny. The door opened and Lassiter walked in.

"Oh, hey, no garbage here, um check the boys' locker room." He said, hinting that that's where things may have happened.

"K, I'll be back later to get the trash." He said and left. Shawn returned his attention back to Jenny.

"You gonna be ok?" he asked as she wiped her tears.

"I guess. I better get going to class, have Physics now, not my favorite class." She said with a half smile. She was trying to lighten the mood for herself.

"Alright, see you around, Jenny. Come talk whenever you want." He told her as she stood up and grabbed her bag. She nodded thanks to him and left. He looked over the notes he had taken while she had talked and as he did so someone walked in and sat down. Shawn looked up, saw the teen's face and only one thought ran through his head, _Oi._

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **still only own unrecognizable characters. Shawn and Lassie belong to USA network.

"You all right, sir?" the boy asked, probably having noticed the shocked look on Shawn's face.

"Uh, yeah, you just reminded me of someone. Anyways, let's get to why we're supposed to be in here." He said, looking down at his notes.

"Right. Mike Durman by the way. Principle suggested I see you because of everything that happened with Doogan. I mean, he wants everybody to talk to you, but it's not a mandatory thing. He was really on me about seeing you though; guess he wanted those who had more of a connection with the guy to really talk. Doogan and I really didn't hang out though. I mean yeah he was Rocketman's little bro and all, but he was nothing like him. He was sort of weird actually, had this photographic memory thing going on, barely had to work for his grades. Told my uncle 'bout him a couple times, he just got this look in his eyes. Asked him once why, told me this kid he used to know, a Shawn Spencer, had the same thing. Uncle Matt could barely stand the guy. I guess I can understand, but with Doogan it's different. The guys and I tease him, call him a photo freak, or called him a photo freak. Uncle gave me the name. But yeah, we called him that and all and then he'd shoot back some snide remark. I mean if I was anybody else, I might hate him, but he had a way about him. Even though he was smart and everything, he didn't flaunt it. I'm sure that girl he hung around though didn't help, Bensen, she was such a pain. Always going off on me, hey, I may have teased him once and awhile, but I mean come on, she used her dad's position in the SBPD as leverage, always threatening. It didn't help her case though people started calling her crazy." Mike told him.

Shawn gripped his pencil tight and stared down at what he was writing. He didn't want to snap at the guy, scare him off. He was sure that Mike had done it, but he wasn't completely sure. It bugged him too, because Mike Durman seemed like the perfect person to have killed Chuck Doogan, but at the same time it seemed too obvious. He knew his dad would say to just let it go and be happy it was easy, but something was off.

"You alright, Dude? You seem a little tense." Mike observed.

"Fine. Nothing. So do you feel upset at all about Chuck?"

"Yeah, of course. I mean ignore the fact that we didn't really along; he was a decent guy. Pretty good at football too. The last time I saw him he was with us guys. It started out as a joke, us talking about how he couldn't play football if his life depended on it. At first he tried to leave, but we sort of kept on him, after awhile he gave into the challenge. Man did he prove us wrong. But, yeah I'm upset. I won't go around crying like a girl, but I'm upset. He was a fellow student, who wouldn't be." Mike said

"Right." He said thoughtfully. He was confused now, because he beginning to wonder if maybe it wasn't Mike and his cronies.

**To be continued-next chapter'll be longer.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Diclaimer: **own nothing, still

Shawn walked into the locker room where he found a bunch of boys, football players he suspected, harassing Lassiter.

"Ooh, missed a spot." One tall boy said as he threw a candy wrapper on the floor.

"Bet he barely finished high school." The boy said, making the others laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I hear. All the high school dropouts, the failures, end up janitors. Ain't that right Janitor Carl?" Shawn hid a snicker. He knew that Lassiter hadn't told the kids his name and he knew that Lassiter didn't have his name on his uniform, so he concluded one thing; the kid was in theater. He also knew that his buddies would never find out.

"Hey guys, shouldn't you be getting out of here." Shawn said stepping up next to Lassiter. Lassiter just gave him a look basically asking what the heck he was doing.

"Yeah, whatever. We've got a get out of class card, football team, dude. Doesn't look like you'd understand that."

"Not understand football, please. What's to understand, you throw a pig skin, run several yards, put it over a line, do a little dance and then do it all over again, oh, if you're really hyped up you beat the heck out of a guy. So tell me again I don't understand football." He glared at them. Annoyed that no matter what year, the football players were always arrogant.

"Whatever, dude. We're outta here." He says as he and his buddies filed out of the locker room, but not before bumping into Shawn, Lassiter, or both.

"You know you didn't have to come to the rescue, Spencer. I am an adult."

"Lassie, you were about to loose it on them. Not a cool thing to do. You've got to get down at their level and that would be football and idiocracy." He said as if it was nothing.  
"Be an idiot, that's all? Sure that's not hard for you." Lassiter said with a smirk.

"Whatever. Just be careful to keep your cool and remember they're a bunch of big muscled idiots." Shawn said, ignoring Lassiter's comment.

"You're forgetting, Spencer, I was in high school too."

"You were a muscled idiot." He retorted as he began to open and close lockers.

"I wasn't an idiot, I worked my butt off for my grades."

"So, you weren't a scrawny kid who barely had to work for his grades. Weren't the kid who had one friend really." Shawn said.

"Uh, I guess not." Lassiter was surprised by the seriousness he was getting from Shawn.

"Well, then you're a muscled idiot. So what've you got, anything interesting?" Shawn was back, the seriousness wiped from his face as if it were never there.

"Tell me, you're psychic."

"Ah, right." Shawn had forgotten about the façade he put on for the station, his mind stuck on the one he'd put on for high school.

"Well?"

"Well, the spirits, are getting nothing. They're being stubborn today." Shawn said with a smile. The truth was he wasn't ready to clue them in on who the killer was because he wasn't entirely sure who it was.

"They are, whatever, Spencer. I don't understand, why the charade?" Lassiter was starting to wonder if his photographic memory had a play in how he solved cases.

"What charade, Lassie?" Shawn questioned, feigning confusion.

"I'm one of the people that know you aren't psychic, yet you still do it when I'm the only one here. You're not fooling me."

"Wanna help the spirits out, Lassie?" Shawn asked, ignoring the question and indicating for Lassiter to tell what he may have found.

"Fine, nothing. The only talk is about how everyone surprised that he's dead. Nothing more than that."

"Whoever did it is smart." Shawn said thoughtfully

"So not a muscled idiot then." He was still taken back by what Shawn had said.

"No, it could still be a muscled idiot, just one who knows how to keep his mouth shut."

**A/N: **Brownie points if you can identify play referred to by the boy. :D

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
